Kismet pt.29

Bo sat at his desk and handed a file across to his friend. He watched Hodges open it and read through the pages in silence. "Why are you so hard on McBain?" he asked out of the blue. He couldn't help it. "You push him, why?"

Jerry looked up. He grabbed the coffee in front of him and took a drink. It was bad coffee. "How are you handling this Jarod thing?" His diversion was short-lived.

Bo shook his head. "Uh-uh. Why?"

The agent sat back and sighed, running a hand over his face. "He needs a push with your niece around." Jerry watched his friend's eyes flash briefly, but he wasn't the type to lose his temper easily.

"That's not it."

"What is it then?"

Bo stared. "You like him."

Jerry chuckled. "You always were too damn sentimental, Bo. I like what he's able to do. When McBain is on a trail," he stopped and met the steady eyes that followed his every move, "I mean, really on a trail, it's a thing of beauty. The kid is the best I've seen."

"But?"

"But he's arrogant. He's stubborn and reckless and downright ornery." Jerry stood. "Don't tell me you haven't worried about him being near Natalie?" Bo didn't answer, and Jerry nodded, knowingly. "That's what I thought? On the one hand he's the best there is, and on the other..."

"On the other," Bo finished, "he's completely unpredictable." He chuckled softly and met the man's confused expression. "I may be sentimental, but you're a control freak. You still need and expect blind obedience, but that's wishful thinking buddy." He watched Jerry frown and take the seat across from him again. "John may take risks, ones that you don't like, but he gets results and he would never hurt Natalie."

This time Hodges chuckled. "See? Sentimental."

"He's in love with her you ass!" He didn't say anything. "Listen, do me a favor? Ease up a bit. Let him do what you say he can do. I'm betting that he's still as good as before."

Hodges was confused. "What? Are you his appointed advocate for fair and just treatment?" Bo stared. "Why is this important to you? He's a mess Bo, and he's a royal pain in the ass!"

Bo took a sip of his own coffee and winced. "This is not good." He saw Jerry waiting for an answer. "He's young and a bit impetuous, but he's a good man." He saw the agent's lip curl slightly. "What? You don't think so? I know a thing or two about good men. If I didn't, we wouldn't be friends, would we? Afterall, I don't like you a lot of the time."

Jerry smiled, despite himself. "He could get Natalie killed."

"Don't worry about Natalie. She's a survivor. She can take care of herself."

Hodges was pressing the issue, not convinced. "He could get someone else killed."

"Or he could come through? Have a little faith."

Jerry sneered. "Faith. I lost that a long time ago. Now I go with my gut, and it's telling me that trouble is coming straight for McBain. When it does, I don't intend on going down with him."


John walked into the police station and barely registered the uniforms that he passed in the hall. When he reached the lobby he glanced at the clock. It was one in the afternoon. Damn! The day was flying by, and he hadn't found a single useful lead. He spotted Bo and Hodges through the glass and strolled purposefully into the office without knocking. "Anything?" he asked bruskly, closing the door behind him. His hands went to his hips.

"Shouldn't we be asking you that?" Jerry snapped, already angry. "Mind telling us where you've been all morning?"

John walked over and automatically shook Bo's hand. He took off his jacket and sat, ignoring the obvious hostility of his so-called superior. "I just finished up at the alley. The murder scenes are clean. I thought maybe, now that we know what we're looking for?" He glanced briefly at Hodges. "Who we're looking for...?" He sank into the chair, ready to drop. He rubbed his red eyes. "Any word from Nat?" He stared at Bo. "Did she find anything?"

"No. Nothing." Bo was frustrated. "Jarod covered his tracks well. We've learned a few things, but absolutely nothing that will tell us where he is now or what his next move will be?"

"Maybe he's already made his next move?" Hodges suggested, watching John visibly stiffen.

Bo tensed as well. "You think he's left. That he's switching cities again."

John rested his head in his hands for a moment, before shaking off the possibility. He turned to Jerry. "No, he's still here."

"Are you sure? Or is there another reason why you want to stick around?"

"Listen Hodges?" John shouted, before being stopped dead in his tracks.

Bo stood abruptly from his chair. "I've had it with both of you!" he yelled, staring hard at the two men across from him. "This has got to stop. Bickering back and forth over Natalie is not helping anyone. We have to find Jarod before he hurts another innocent girl, so I don't want to hear a peep out of either one of you again unless it has something to do with this case! Is that clear?" He looked from one to the other, satisfied by their stunned silence. "Good," he said evenly, once again taking his seat. The awkward tension in the office was stifling.

John licked his lips. "Where's Sandler?" he croaked, feeling like a complete fool.

"He's checking all the possible exits - planes, buses, cars, etc..." Hodges stood. "I'm going to go call Kehler, and then coordinate the patrols in the city. I'm also going to check into possible connecting crimes across the country. I'm not as convinced as McBain, that the guy's still in town." He left.

John stared ahead, rolling his eyes. He closed them and ran his hands through his hair, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You need some sleep," Bo said, stating the obvious. The young man looked at him and smiled weakly. "Did you get any last night?"

John squirmed slightly, suddenly very awake and very uncomfortable. "No," he answered simply. The less he said about last night, the better. His phone rang, and he reached for it, glad for the interuption. "McBain. Hey, what's up? Now's not so good. Yeah? Can it wait?" He sat back, nodding. "Alright!" His voice was getting aggitated. "I'm on my way." Then he hung up and looked at Bo. "I have to go," he said, standing and putting on his jacket.

"Anything I need to know?"

"No," John answered, walking to the door. "Tell Sandler to keep his phone on."

He left, and Bo sat back in his chair and stared at the coffee cup on his desk. They needed to catch Jarod soon. Then he rose from his seat and headed out, wanting to check in with Natalie. Wanting to do more.


"So what the hell's so urgent?" John asked, approaching his brother.

Mike frowned, annoyed by the tone being used. "Shut the door," he ordered, sitting back in his chair. "It's nice to see you too...and that you're still in town."

John took a seat at the desk and stared. He was angry. "You call me over here to give me a hard time, Mike?"

"No, damn it! I wanted to see my brother."

John was still frowning. "That's nice and all, but I'm trying to catch a killer."

Michael's eyes widened slightly. "You know who it is, don't you?"

He sat back still frowning. "Yeah," John admitted at last, "I know."

"Well? Who is it?"

John stood from his chair. "I can't talk about it Mike, so if there's nothing else?" He walked to the door.

"Wait! There is something else." He watched his brother turn and look at him, waiting. "I called you here to see you, but..."

"But what?"

Now Michael was frowning. "I have a job to do too John. I need to remove your stitches."

"Are you kidding me?" He strode forward. "I don't have time for this Mike!"

"Make time John. It'll take two minutes. I told you to meet me here yesterday." He glared, but didn't bolt for the door. Michael took that as a good sign. "Just sit your ass down and we'll get this over with, alright?"

After an uncomfortable moment, he sat back in the chair and watched his little brother roll towards him with some funny looking scissors. "I can't believe I'm letting you anywhere near my mouth?"

Mike smiled. "Come on, man?" John opened up, and he made quick work of the stitches. "See?" he teased, finishing, "two minutes. It still looks pretty raw though. How's it feel?"

"It's fine." John felt the prying stare and glared back. "What?"

"Fine?"

He was grinning, and John wanted to punch him in his smug face. "Fine," he said again.

"So how's Natalie?"

John stood. "She's out doing her job, which is what I should be doing?" He walked to the door again. "Hey, Mike?"

"Yeah, brother?"

John was struggling with what he wanted to say. He shouldn't be saying anything. "Jarod Hamilton is our guy. So if you see him?"

"I'll call."

John nodded and opened the door. "Thanks Mike," he said as he walked out.